The future of surgery might take quite a gigantic leap with penis transplant surgery. Though this surgery has been done before, it usually is performed on cisgender men with genital injuries caused by cancer or war trauma.
But doctors in Boston are now considering this option as a possible medical procedure for trans men.
On MedPage Today, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Curtis Cetrulo said, “This would be a quantum leap if you were able to transplant a real penile structure. It’s certainly pushing the boundaries. We’re ready to do it, and we could do it pretty soon if we get it approved. I’m hopeful we can do it.”
As of the present, this may prove to be a challenging surgery as there are no accepted guidelines for the proper procedure due to the rarity of a penile transplant.
Only a few hospitals such as Cetrulo’s currently perform the surgery, but they’ve only done it on cisgender men. Doctors are now considering giving this life-altering surgery to trans men as well.
Marci Bowers, a California-based gender confirmation surgeon said, “This is like a heart transplant to someone who has end-stage heart disease. It’s that big. Prior methods were just so substandard in so many ways.”
Cetrulo even pointed out the benefits of having a full penile transplant for trans patients. He said that it would offer “fewer urethral complications, better cosmetic outcome, and better physiological sexual capacity”.
At this time however, doctors have yet to understand how the surgery will work with trans men as it is not known if an erection or ejaculation are possible with a penis transplant. Finding donors would also be a roadblock as there are concerns that families of deceased donors would not allow this to happen.
However, if the surgery proves successful and with continued technological and surgical advancements, this would be a big push for progress in gender-affirming surgery for trans men.
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